Crate.



PATBNTED SEPT. l 0

. P. HULBERT.

' CRATE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 18.1906A 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 865,705. PATENTED SEPT. l0, 1907. E. F. HULBBRT.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18,1906,

2 SHBET`S-SHBBT 2.

23 5gg/Z123 ya unrrnn I STATES `EDWIN F. HULBERT, OF KENOSHA, WISCNSIN.

CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application tiled Tune lil, 1906.Serial-No. 322,315.

Patented SeptjlO, A190'?,

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. HULBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCrates, of which thefollowing is aspeciiication. This invention contemplates certain new anduseful improvements in shipping packages, andv is particu,- larlyadapted as a refrigerating package forthe transportation of oysters orother perishable commodities.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction ofdevice of' this character which will result in the essentialcharacteristics of strength and durability, combined with lightness andsimplicity of construction, as well as efficiency of operation for u thepurpose for which ,it is primarily designed.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting theresult reference is to behad to 'the accompanying drawings,in which;

Figure l is a sideview offmy improved crate, parts being broken away orin section: Fig` 2 is a detail V vertical section of one sideof thecrate. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of thehinge connection. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the hinge connection.Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of the body ofthe crate; Fig. 7 is a similarview, the section being taken alongthevline of one-set of truss wires, in order to illustrate the joins ofthe ends of the said wires, covered and protected. I v

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all-"the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawing the numeral l designates the body of thepackage which is substantially circular in horizontal section.

2 designates the bottom of the receptacle, and 3 the lid or cover'whichis provided with a fillet 3 on its lower side. l

The body l comprises a series of vertical 'slats 4 slightly bowedtransversely so as toproduce a substantially circular structure whenassembled and said slats are secured together by means of truss wires 5extending around the circle of slats and by tie wires 6 secured to saidtruss wires in the spaces between every two slats, the tie wiresextending around the inner sides of the slats as shown, and the endsofthe truss wires are. joined together at the rear of the structure andpreferably covered by means of a stiffening slat or rib 7 which extendsvertically as shown.

At its upper end the body l is provided with an encircling hoop 8preferably of elm or similar strong wood, the ends of which are joinedtogether and riveted. A At its lower end the body is provided with anencircling hoop Q'angular in cross section as shown and preferably ofmetal. The horizontally extendingportion of the bottom hoop 9 extendsunderneath the bottoni board 2, and preferably I 4employ drive screws l0to secure said hoop in place, said drive screws extending through thevertical portions of the hoopfand through the body portion l into thebottom board 2. As the-present embodiment of 'my invention isparticularly designed as a shipping package for the storage of aperishable commodity surrounded by a refrigerant, the said package islined around the inside of the body portion l by metallic sheathing llsuch as galvanized iron. Such sheathing extends upwardly and outwardlyover the upper edge of the body portion l and thence downwardly somedistance around the outer Side of the body portion as indicated at l2,the said downwardly extending upper end l2 being interposed and clampedbetween the outer sides of the slats and the inner circle of the upperhoop 8. Clenching nails 13 preferably extend through said sheathing, theupper series of nails extending through the body portion o f theshleathing and through the downwardly extending end l2 thereof. At thebottom also thesheathing l1` -extends around the edge-of the bodyportion and thence trating the same as indicated in the drawings.Insulating paper l5 or the like is interposed' between the sheathing lland the inner sides of the wooden slats 4, said paper preferablyterminating at both top and bottom at the ends pf the slats. fIocomplete the sheet metal inner receptacle, bottom sheathing 16 isemployed sai-d bottom sheathing extending entirely across the bottom anddownwardly around the outer edge of the bottom board and beinginterposed and clamped between said edge and theslats 4.' By this meansthe of the bottom portion 16 of the sheathing with the body portion llthereof. insulating paper 19 is also preferably interposed between thebottoni sheathing 16 and the bottom board 2 such paper lining preferablyterminating at the margin of said board.

The covering or lid 3 of my improved package is e11- which are locatedat the rear of the package and are rc- 'spectively secured to angularbrackets 2l that are provided with upper and lower leaves 22 embracingthe edge of the lid. Each bracket 2l is provided with a projectingknuckle 23, and a pintle 24 extends through apertures in said knucklesand is provided with a nut 25 so that by tightening up said nut the twobrackets may be drawn together and thereby tighten the hoop 20 about thelid 3 and prevent warping. In addition to this binding function,'thepintle 24 serves as a support for the toggle hinge 27 which is U-shapedas shown and has its ends pivotally mounted on said pintle while itscross bar is pivotally mounted within a bearing 29 upwardly as indicatedat 14, the drive screws penevcircled by a channeled metallic hoop theends of' proper solder seam 18 may be effected at the juncture formed bylineki ing the intermediate portions oi' o strap In" that if; secured tothe body ,i the achtige and p to the strengthening rib 7.

Hoving thus donrribed the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A Shipping` package of the Character described, eonrA prising n bodyportion composed of u serios of verttnl slots arranged substantially inn circle, :i (flzrniping hoop secured around the ripper oud of said bodyportion. n bottoni t'or duid body portion. on ungulnr hoop secured:iround the lower ends of said shits ond oxtendin underneath saidbottoni, truss wires eonuortngr said shits ron-ether, the ends of thetruss wires boing;- joined. :i vertically extending strengthening rib.st-cured to said body portion and covering: the joins of smidtruss.\\'i1t-s. and til` wires secured to said truss wires.

2. A piitkng'e of the character doseribed, comprising :1 body port-ioncomposed of :i .serios ot' vertical slats. ai ranged substantially in nrit-elo. u dumping hoop secured riround the slats dt the upper endsthereof. n lower hoop L-shtiped in Cross section eneircliin;l the lowerends o the slots, u bottoin supported by the horizontal portion of thelower hoop. shonthintr extending along the inner wall of tho bodyportion. said sheuthim: extending outwardly over the upper edge of thebody portion :ind thence downwardly between thehpper hoop und the outerwull of the slats, :1nd also extending outwardly alonel the lower odgeof the body Sewon,

portion and thence upwardly, being'- interposed between the slats andthe two members of the L-sbaped lower hoop, and n bottoni sheathinghaving its edge extending downwardly und interposed between the edge ofthe bottom and the first named sheathing, there being` provided a seninat the juncture of vthe bottom sheathing with the body sheathing.

il. i package of the character described, comprising n body portioncomposed of o. series of vertical Vsluts, arranged substantially in ncircle, a clamping; hoop secured around the slots nt the upper endsthereof, :i lower hoop Lshopod in cross section onuirtzling tho lowerends of tho slats, n bottom supported by the horizontal portion of thelower hoop. shezitbinn extending along; the inner woll of the bodyportion. snid sheathing extending outwardly over the upper edge ot' thebooy portion and thence downwardly between the upper hoop and( the outerwnll oi the sluts, rind also extending;- outwardly along,l the loweredge of the body portion und thence upwardly, being interposed betweenthe slots und the two members ol the L-shnped lower hoop, bottonisluutbing hnvingits edge extending' downwardly"and interposed betweenthe edge of tho bot.- toni und the first' named sheathing, und :ininsulating`- lining for the body sheathing and the bottom sheathing4 4.A Shipping; package of the character described, com prirsing a bodyportion und bottom and u lid designed to close the upper end of the bodyportion, n hoop encirvling.; the edge ot' the lid, brackets secured tothe 'ends ot' sutil encircling hoop. enoh brnt'ket bein;Y provided withun 11portured knuckle, n pintlr mounted in Suid knuckles and providedwith u nut screwed thereon und adapted to druw the said bracketstogether, a U-'shopod toggle hnvinr, its uppor ends pirotnlly mountedupon Suid pintlo, and :i strop secured to the body portion und providedwith :i bearing in whiclrthe cross bnr of said tog-,ile is journztled.In testimony whereof I :iix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

- EDWiN 1P. HULBERT. ltr. $4.1

Wilnesseq D. J. FLANAGA N,

E. A. Brust).

